This application is based on application No. 11-109736 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus management unit that collects data on a connected apparatus and transmits the data to a centralized management unit, and manages the apparatus based on apparatus management data transmitted from the centralized management unit. Moreover, the present invention relates to an apparatus management system that manages the apparatuses connected to a plurality of apparatus management units by performing data communication between a centralized management unit and the apparatus management units via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H4-318731 proposes an apparatus management unit that is connectable to a centralized management unit via the public telephone line and transmits information on an apparatus to be managed to the centralized management unit. Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H4-318859 proposes an apparatus management unit that, when something is wrong with a connected copier, stops the operation of the copier in accordance with an instruction from a centralized management unit.
Examples of the system in which a centralized management unit and an apparatus management unit are connected as described above include not only the system in which these units are connected by use of the public telephone line but also a system that performs communication by use of the Internet and a radio communication system that uses a PHS (Personal Handy Phone system) or a cellular phone as a terminal unit with the diversification of the communication technology.
There are cases where in a system in which apparatus management data is transmitted and received as a packet between a centralized management unit and a-plurality of apparatus management units, the apparatus management units and a mail server are connected by a LAN (local-area network). For such a LAN, a system is known in which a packet transmitted from the centralized management unit to a certain apparatus management unit is temporarily stored in the mail server, and the apparatus management unit checks the mail server to see if there is a mail addressed to itself and reads the newly-arrived mail when there is one. Therefore, in such a management system, it is necessary for each apparatus management unit to periodically check the presence or absence of a mail addressed to itself.
An apparatus management unit connected to an apparatus to be managed such as a copier or a printer is provided with a sleep mode in view of energy saving. That is, a low-power-consumption mode is provided of bringing functions other than minimum necessary functions into sleep state after the apparatus or the apparatus management unit is idle for more than a predetermined time.
When an apparatus management unit provided with such a sleep mode is used in the above-described management system connected to the mail server, the apparatus management unit being set in sleep state cannot check the mail server to see if there is a mail addressed to itself. Consequently, necessary management data cannot be obtained.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem.
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to, in a system in which apparatus management data is transmitted and received between a centralized management unit and a plurality of apparatus management units as a packet, take in the apparatus management data without any delay by enabling the presence or absence of a mail addressed to an apparatus management unit to be checked even when the apparatus management unit is set in a sleep mode.
An apparatus management unit according to a first aspect achieving the above-mentioned objects is an apparatus management unit that sends out a mail addressed to a centralized management unit to a communication network via a LAN, and takes in a mail addressed to itself from a mail server connected to the LAN, the apparatus management unit comprising: accepting means for accepting a request, from a second apparatus management unit connected to the LAN, for vicarious checking of the presence or absence of a mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit; vicarious checking means for checking the mail server to see if there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit when the accepting means accepts the request for vicarious checking; and notifying means for, when there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit, notifying the second apparatus management unit of the presence of the mail via the LAN.
An apparatus management system according to a second aspect achieving the above-mentioned objects is an apparatus management system in which a mail server and a plurality of apparatus management units each connected to an apparatus to be managed are connected by a LAN, the mail server receives mails addressed to the apparatus management units from an external communication network, and each of the apparatus management units takes in a mail addressed to itself from the mail server, said apparatus management unit comprises: accepting means for accepting a request, from a second apparatus management unit connected to the LAN, for vicarious checking of the presence or absence of the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit; vicarious checking means for checking the mail server to see if there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit when the accepting means accepts the request for vicarious checking; and notifying means for, when there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit, notifying the second apparatus management unit of the presence of the mail via the LAN.
An apparatus management system according to a third aspect achieving the above-mentioned objects is an apparatus management system that manages apparatuses connected to first and second apparatus management units by transmitting and receiving mails including apparatus management data between a centralized management unit and the first and second apparatus management units, having a mail server which is connected to the first and second apparatus management units, and receiving mails addressed to the apparatus management units from an external communication network, said first apparatus management unit comprises: accepting means for accepting a request, from the second apparatus management unit, for vicarious checking of the presence or absence of a mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit; vicarious checking means for checking the mail server to see if there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit when the accepting means accepts the request for vicarious checking; and notifying means for notifying the second apparatus management unit of the presence of the mail when there is the mail addressed to the second apparatus management unit.